The invention relates generally to pants. More particularly, the invention relates to pants with a crotch panel for slimming the appearance of a wearer's thighs.
There is a great need for pants that flatter the figure. In a world that values physical appearance, many individuals do what they can to maximize their figure and wear clothing that accentuate and display their bodies. In many instances, however, simple genetics may not allow an individual to wear form fitting clothing despite dieting or exercise. In order to change their appearance, many individuals resort to painful and expensive surgery.
A conventional pair of pants 20 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. These pants 20 include leg portions 22, a seat portion 24, a front portion 26, an upper waistband 28 with a closure (not shown), an inseam 30 on each leg portion 22, and a closure member 32 running down the middle of the front portion 26 from the waistband. 28 to a seam 34. The seam 34 runs down the middle of the seat portion 24 from the waistband 28 to the closure member 32.
This seam 34 may result in embarrassment and/or discomfort to a female wearer because the seam 34 runs directly over the female external genitalia. When the seam 34 allows the material of the pants 20 to bunch up or ride up in the area of the female external genitalia, the contours of the wearer's external genitalia may be revealed, causing embarrassment and/or discomfort as the seam 34 presses against and between the external genitalia of the wearer. This can be very painful to a female user, especially if she has a gynecological condition such as a yeast infection, bladder infection, menstruation or the like.
Many different types of pants have been employed to alter or support parts of the lower body. However, such pants may involve parts that need adjustment in order to make the pants function as desired or may be padded in a manner that decreases comfort. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,243 discloses a padded pant construction for athletic purposes. However, the pant merely pads the crotch area which may make the pants uncomfortable for non-athletic use. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. RE. 36,905 discloses a figure enhancing garment. However, the garment requires a complicated system of pulleys and strings to adjust the pants.
While garments such as those described above may provide means of altering or supporting the lower body, such garments can always be improved.
Accordingly, there is a need for a garment that helps the user attain a slimmer appearance. There is also a need for a garment that is comfortable to wear. There is a further need for a garment that does not bunch up around or otherwise form-fit around the contours of a female wearer's external genitalia. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other related advantages.